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Raymond Weil Freelancer Skeleton 42mm Mens Watch
Ref. 2785-SBC-60000
Sits in Raymond Weil’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Raymond Weil watches we list, which start at £850.
Price range £850 to £3,595 across 57 Raymond Weil watches in stock.The Freelancer has always sat at the sportier end of Raymond Weil's range, and this skeletonised variant sharpens that position with a material choice that sets it apart from every other reference in the lineup: the bezel is solid bronze against a bare steel case. Bronze does not maintain the uniform finish of steel — it responds to skin chemistry, climate and daily wear, and the colour that develops over months is particular to the person wearing it. No two examples age the same way. The movement behind the open dial is the RW1212, developed with Sellita but designed specifically around the skeletonised presentation — the balance wheel sits at six o'clock on the dial side, visible through the front rather than hidden beneath it. At 10.6mm the case is notably slim for a 42mm watch with this much going on inside, and it carries that depth comfortably under a cuff. The aged calf leather strap, brown with an antique finish, suits the bronze bezel well: the two materials share the same quality of changing with time, and together they read as deliberate rather than assembled from separate ideas.
- Reference
- 2785-SBC-60000
- Brand
- Raymond Weil
- Collection
- Freelancer
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 10.6mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- RW1212
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 50.5mm
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
Learn more about Raymond Weil
Raymond Weil founded his company in Geneva in 1976, which was close to the worst possible moment: Swiss mechanical watchmaking was being dismantled by quartz, and established houses were closing. Starting one from nothing took a particular kind of nerve.
The company survived and stayed independent, which is rarer than it sounds — most Swiss names of comparable size were absorbed into Swatch Group, Richemont or LVMH. Raymond Weil is still owned and run by the founding family, with his grandson Elie Bernheim as chief executive.
Music runs through the brand deliberately rather than decoratively. The collections are named for it — Maestro, Toccata, Tango, Freelancer — and the company has built long partnerships with orchestras, conservatoires and record labels.
The watches sit where Swiss watchmaking is still attainable: slim dress pieces, chronographs and skeletonised automatics, mostly on Sellita and ETA calibres, with the Millesime line taking a more vintage-minded direction in recent years.
- 1976
- Founded in Geneva at the height of the quartz crisis.
- 1983
- The Amadeus line begins the brand's association with music.
- 1996
- The Parsifal collection establishes its dress-watch identity.
- 2014
- Elie Bernheim, the founder's grandson, becomes CEO.
- 2022
- The Millesime line moves the range in a vintage direction.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Raymond Weil Freelancer range (18), Back in Stock (3,734), Stainless Steel Watches (2,581), Automatic Watches (1,570), Leather Strap Watches (860), Skeleton Watches (251) and Grey Dial Watches (197).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Raymond Weil's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Raymond Weil Freelancer Skeleton alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 2785-SBC-60000 | L38354326 | N3000.07S02.G01.R01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,495 | £3,550 | £3,600 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 59 hours | 41 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 50.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £3,495, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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